(D) The War Dogs Ride! - Part I

Got a good night's sleep Friday, and on Saturday hit several book stores, giving my credit card a workout and stocking up on three interelated categories of books: works dealing with globalization, works reflective of the current state of domestic political discourse, and works on the War on Terrorism. Accompanying me were my two doughty war dogs: Jethro (shown), and Gypsy (who is reclusive about photos, as she believes they steal her spirit).

When I get time I'll create at least an author/title bibliography, because all told I must have bought fifty books and I can't keep them all straight in my head. But for now I will only say that among the books purchased were a number by pundits on both the Right and Left, mostly the Right. For example:

Ann Coulter, Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (2003).
Ann Coulter, How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter (2004).

(Thank goodness for the remainder table, which is where most of this, ah, genre lands within a few months of publication.)

Sean Hannity, Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism (2002).
Sean Hannity, Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism (2004).

(Note to self: what's with the tight-lipped smile these people all display on their book covers? Why not a broad, friendly, we - control - all - three - branches - of - government grin?)

I'd be curious to know if CRO (see "Little Churchills") would permit me to dissent from the conservative line in class if it knew I had made an effort to read conservative opinion--and indeed, I read not only this fun but superficial stuff but also more serious paleo-con and neo-con opinion: William Kristol is a particular favorite of mine. My guess is that CRO would regard merely reading conservative opinion as just a particularly insidious form of political correctness. You have to agree with it whole-heartedly or you're still PC.

Whence the impetus for this book-buying binge? Well, to begin with, I'm a book junkie, so the see - the - pretty - book - I - must - have - it reflex is well-established in me. Second, the blogosphere is so awash in political opinion you can't help but get sucked in. Third, some of this stuff--not the Coulters and the Hannitys but the more serious neo-con opinion--is stuff I'll need for a new book project, or more precisely, the lastest proposed vehicle for the old book project.

Finally, while hitherto I may not have been interested in the Coulters, Hannitys, and Joe Scarboroughs of the world, plainly they are interested in me. Apparently they have trouble distinguishing me from academics of like Ward Churchill. I can't imagine why--aren't the differences obvious?



More to come.